Publications
Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.
Filter Total Items: 5585
The Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program from 1997 to 2017: Results, analyses, and lessons learned The Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program from 1997 to 2017: Results, analyses, and lessons learned
To determine trends in either frog distribution or abundance in the State of Louisiana, we reviewed and analyzed frog call data from the Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program (LAMP). The data were collected between 1997 and 2017 using North American Amphibian Monitoring Program protocols. Louisiana was divided into three survey regions for administration and analysis: the Florida...
Authors
Jacoby Carter, Darren Johnson, Jeff Boundy, William Vermillion
Invasion frustration: Can biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA? Invasion frustration: Can biotic resistance explain the small geographic range of non-native croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831) in Florida, USA?
Croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata is a non-native fish species that has maintained a reproducing population in Florida, USA, since at least the 1970s. However, unlike most other non-native fishes in Florida, T. vittata has not spread beyond its very small (ca. 5 km²) range. We suspected the inability of T. vittata to colonize new habitats may be due to biotic resistance by the native...
Authors
Pam Schofield, Quenton M. Tuckett, Daniel Slone, Kristen Reaver, Jeffrey H. Hill
Method development for a short-term 7-day toxicity test with unionid mussels Method development for a short-term 7-day toxicity test with unionid mussels
The US Environmental Protection Agency's short-term freshwater effluent test methods include a fish (Pimephales promelas), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata). There is a recognized need for additional taxa to accompany the three standard species for effluent testing. An appropriate additional taxon is unionid mussels because mussels are widely
Authors
Ning Wang, James L. Kunz, Douglas K. Hardesty, Jeffery A. Steevens, Teresa J. Norberg-King, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. Bauer, Tom Augspurger, Suzanne Dunn, David Martinez, M. Christopher Barnhart, Jordan Murray, Marcus Bowersox, John F. Roberts, Robert B. Bringolf, Robert Ratajczak, Serena Ciparis, W. Gregory Cope, Sean B. Buczek, Daniel Farrar, Lauren May, Mailee Garton, Patricia L. Gillis, James Bennett, Joseph Salerno, Brian Hester, Richard Lockwood, Christopher Tarr, Dennis McIntyre, Jonathan Wardell
Genome-wide SNP analysis reveals multiple paternity in Burmese pythons invasive to the Greater Florida Everglades Genome-wide SNP analysis reveals multiple paternity in Burmese pythons invasive to the Greater Florida Everglades
Reproductive strategies are an essential component of invasion ecology that influence invasion success and rates of population growth. Burmese Pythons (Python bivittatus) are large constrictor snakes that were introduced to the Greater Everglades Ecosystem of southern Florida, USA, from Asia. Since their introduction, these giant constrictors have spread throughout wetlands of southern...
Authors
James Skelton, Ian A. Bartoszek, Caitlin Beaver, Kristen Hart, Margaret Hunter
The sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent The sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent
Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of animals in the world and are among the most sensitive species to a variety of chemicals. However, little is known about the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to wastewater effluents. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess the toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River, Oklahoma (USA), to a...
Authors
James L. Kunz, Ning Wang, David Martinez, Suzanne Dunn, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery A. Steevens
Role of ingesta particle size in the green turtle grazing strategy, ontogenetic diet shifts, and responses to seagrass declines Role of ingesta particle size in the green turtle grazing strategy, ontogenetic diet shifts, and responses to seagrass declines
Populations of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), a mega-herbivore that consumes seagrasses, are recovering worldwide. Understanding green turtle adaptations to herbivory and responses to changes in seagrass availability will be critical to interpreting plant–herbivore interactions as green turtle populations continue to rebound. Ingesta particle size and diet composition of two green...
Authors
Alexandra G. Gulick, Anne B. Meylan, Peter A. Meylan, Kristen Hart, Jennifer A. Gray, Gaelle Roth, Alan B. Bolten, Karen A. Bjorndal
Periodic oscillation and tri-stability in mutualism systems with two consumers Periodic oscillation and tri-stability in mutualism systems with two consumers
This paper considers mutualistic interactions between two consumers, in which one consumer can consume a resource only by exchange of service for service with the other. By rigorous analysis on the one-resource and two-consumer model with Holling-type I response, we show periodic oscillations and tri-stability in the mutualism system: when their initial densities decrease, the consumers'
Authors
Yuanshi Wang, Hong Wu, Donald L. DeAngelis
Informing future condition scenario planning for habitat specialists of the imperiled pine rockland ecosystem of South Florida Informing future condition scenario planning for habitat specialists of the imperiled pine rockland ecosystem of South Florida
This project evaluated habitat conditions for two species found in the imperiled pine rockland ecosystem—the Rim Rock Crowned Snake (Tantilla oolitica) and the Key Ring-Necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus). The Rim Rock Crowned Snake historically occurred in eastern Miami-Dade County (hereafter, mainland) as well as throughout the Florida Keys, whereas the Key Ring-Necked Snake...
Authors
Susan C. Walls
Evaluating streamwater dissolved organic carbon dynamics in context of variable flowpath contributions with a tracer-based mixing model Evaluating streamwater dissolved organic carbon dynamics in context of variable flowpath contributions with a tracer-based mixing model
This study focuses on characterizing the contributions of key terrestrial pathways that deliver dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to streams during hydrological events and on elucidating factors governing variation in water and DOC fluxes from these pathways. We made high-frequency measurements of discharge, specific conductance (SC), and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) during...
Authors
James E. Saiers, Jennifer H. Fair, James B. Shanley, J.D. Hosen, Serena Matt, Kevin A Ryan, P.A. Raymond
Establishment of baseline cytology metrics in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius): Immunomodulatory effects of the flame retardant isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers Establishment of baseline cytology metrics in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius): Immunomodulatory effects of the flame retardant isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers
Avian populations must mount effective immune responses upon exposure to environmental stressors such as avian influenza and xenobiotics. Although multiple immune assays have been tested and applied to various avian species, antibody-mediated immune responses in non-model avian species are not commonly reported due to the lack of commercially available species-specific antibodies. The...
Authors
Jill Jenkins, Brooke A Baudoin, Darren Johnson, Kim J. Fernie, Heather M. Stapelton, Natalie Karouna-Renier
Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States Stable isotopes used to infer trophic position of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Dry Tortugas National Park, Gulf of Mexico, United States
Evaluating resource use patterns for imperiled species is critical for understanding what supports their populations. Here we established stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) values for the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) population found within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO), south Florida, USA. There is little gene flow between turtles sampled at DRTO and in...
Authors
David Roche, Michael Cherkiss, Brian J. Smith, Derek A. Burkholder, Kristen Hart
Development of a screening tool to examine lake and reservoir susceptibility to eutrophication in selected watersheds of the eastern and southeastern United States Development of a screening tool to examine lake and reservoir susceptibility to eutrophication in selected watersheds of the eastern and southeastern United States
This report describes a new screening tool to examine lake and reservoir susceptibility to eutrophication in selected watersheds of the eastern and southeastern United States using estimated nutrient loading and flushing rates with measures of waterbody morphometry. To that end, the report documents the compiled data and methods (R-script) used to categorize waterbodies by Carlson’s...
Authors
W. Reed Green, Anne B. Hoos, Alan E. Wilson, Elizabeth N. Heal